glow
Missed browsing Topshop for your new blush? These are the local spots for your next big beauty fix
When I was 21, a trip to the big Topshop on Oxford Circus in London wasn’t complete without coming home with an item from its eponymous beauty line. Yes, I had snug-fitting Joni jeans in my bag, but I also had an affordable new lipstick or a brand new highlighter, too. Every beauty blogger worth their salt had Glow Pot in Polished – a tiny tub that packed an iridescent punch – in their Ikea Alexa chest of drawers at some point. Basically, the store could take whatever cash I had on me and kit me out from head to toe. But with the high street now becoming less of a destination and IRL shopping being eclipsed by online buying, the ease of picking up beauty products from your favourite clothing shop got, well, a bit lost.
Slowly though, post-pandemic, high street make-up, skin and hair care spaces have been creeping back in. Think about it: Boots has begun to curate amazing beauty zones in store; Space NK reigns supreme for your next luxe purchase; and Sephora is taking over this side of the pond (finally). And with this, your best-loved clothing brands want in again, too. But who can blame them?
‘The beauty industry is a multibillion-pound business that is forecasted to grow year on year. It’s no surprise retailers are getting a slice of the market,’ says Sabrina Benjamin, a retail expert and founder of the business technology consultancy Authentic Branches. And us consumers love the simplicity of it because ‘our fast-paced lives make the “one-stop shop” solution extremely attractive’, she adds. The way that high street shops have always picked up on the virality of designer clothing trends is now being echoed in make-up, skincare, hair and beyond. At the luxury end, there’s Prada Beauty and Rabanne, while the likes of Primark, M&S, & Other Stories, H&M and Zara are all making major moves to once again fill up our bathroom cabinets and beauty shelves – as well as our wardrobes.
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H&M
Last autumn, H&M beauty relaunched with a bang, working with renowned make-up artist Raoúl Alejandre. The affordable range features brand-new, completely vegan formulas that are rich in pigment and playful in colour. While it’s just the staples such as blush and lipstick on sale right now, the brand is continuing to expand the range this year, so stay tuned.
Our H&M recs
1. H&M Matte Lipstick in Purple Reign, £9.99
2. H&M Pressed Powder Blusher in Fire it Up!, £8.99
3. H&M Lengthening Mascara, £8.99
4. H&M Highlighter Stick in Peachy Glow, £8.99
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ZARA
Yes, Zara is known for its perfumes (many of which were created by Jo Malone) and its make-up (I swear by their £1
